Edit: According to comment of Pace Nielsen, I remove question 2 of the previous version:
Let $R$ be a unital ring. We define Murray Von Neumann relation $M$ on $R$ as follows:
We say $a M b$ iff $a=xy,\;b=yx$ for some $x,y\in R$. (This is inspired by the usual Murray Von Neumann equivalent relation in K theory, which is defined on the set of idempotents of a ring). The relation $M$ is a reflexive and symmetric relation but is not a transitive relation. So we consider its saturation. The saturation of this relation is an equivalent relation denoted by $\simeq$. In fact we say $a\simeq b$ if there are $p_{i}\in R\;$ with $p_{0} M p_{1},\;\;\;p_{1} M p_{2},\ldots p_{n-1} M p_{n}$ where $p_{0}=a,\;p_{n}=b$.
Put $R=M_{n}(\mathbb{C})$. One can show that the equivalent class containing $0$ is $$[0]=\{A\in M_{n}(\mathbb{C})\mid A^{n}=0\}$$
(In fact one can prove the following: If $A\in B(H)$ satisfy $A^{k}=0$ then there are $X,Y\in B(H)$ with $A=XY$ and $(YX)^{k-1}=0$. Here $B(H)$ is the space of bounded operators on a Hilbert space. The same is true by replacing $B(H)$ with an arbitrary Von Neumann algebra. The same also is true without any topological consideration, that is by replacing $B(H)$ with $L(V)$, the space of linear endomorphisms of a vector space $V$.)
So for $R=M_{n}(\mathbb{C}),\;\;[0]$ is an algebraic variety,i.e: the variety of nilpotent matrices $A^{n}=0$
1.Is every equivalent class of $M_{n}(\mathbb{C})$ an algebraic variety?(the zero set of polynomials on $M_{n}(\mathbb{C}) \simeq \mathbb{C}^{n^{2}}$ or the zero set of polynomials in the form $f(A)=0$ where $f\in \mathbb{C}[x]$?What is the precise description of equivalent classes?
- Assume that $A$ is a $C^{*}$ algebra and $a\in A$ satisfies $a^{k}=0$ for some $k>1$. Are there two elements $x,y \in A$ with $a=xy$ and $(yx)^{k-1}=0$?
**Note:**Inspired by methods from K theory, I tried to construct a functor $NK$ based on the constructions above. please see A functor on the category of rings, algebras or compact Hausdorff topological spaceA functor on the category of rings, algebras or compact Hausdorff topological space
Perhaps, it would be interesting to ask "Is there a kind of periodicity property for this functor?"